Here are some festive chocolates treats to try from a recent post for Harper's Bazaar. Created by Sally Wood of Sweet Theatre and international chef, Lawrence Otterburn, the recipes are all inspired by Shakespeare's leading ladies. You can find Sweet Theatre at Harvey Nichols and at www.sweettheatre.com:

SALLY WOOD’S SHAKESPEAREAN CHRISTMAS TREATS

The Sweet Theatre founder and chef Lawrence Otterburn create five mouth-watering recipes exclusively for Bazaar

BY LOTTIE JOHANSSON 18 DECEMBER 2014

Juliet's white chocolate, cranberry and chestnut fudge. All pictures courtesy of Matt Crockett.

No food is as synonymous with Christmas and celebrations as chocolate. Here Sally Wood, founder of the Sweet Theatre chocolate company and chef Lawrence Otterburn, share five delicious festive recipes created exclusively for Harper's Bazaar.

Juliet’s White Chocolate, Cranberry and Chestnut Fudge

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Cooling time: 3 hours in fridge
Serves: 20–24 pieces

Ingredients
200g Sweet Theatre Juliet white chocolate (broken into pieces)
350g golden caster sugar
30g unsalted butter
Pinch of salt
125ml evaporated milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
50g dried cranberries
50g roast chopped chestnuts
Icing sugar to decorate

Method
1. Place sugar, butter salt and evaporated milk into a large solid based pan (copper or Le Creuset are best) and heat gently until everything has dissolved.
2. Increase heat and bring to the boil, stirring constantly, for around 5 minutes (it should start to reach a soft ball stage which you can check by dropping a little into a glass of cold water or using a sugar thermometer).
3. Take your fudge mixture off the heat and stir in chocolate and vanilla extract until smooth.
4. Leave for 5 minutes and fold in cranberries and roast chestnuts.
5. Pour into a large flat silicone or tin tray and chill in fridge until set, you could also use greased baking tray or individual silicone chocolate moulds to make single pieces.
6. Cut into 20-24 pieces and sprinkle with icing sugar to serve.






Desdemona’s Cinnamon Hot Chocolate 

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes
Serves: 2

Ingredients
120g Sweet Theatre Desdemona cinnamon milk chocolate
2 tbsp Harvey Nichols acacia honey
70 ml cup hot water
Small pinch of salt
1 shot espresso
450 ml milk
1 egg
4 drops pure vanilla extract
Ground cinnamon

Method
1. In a medium-sized saucepan over medium-low heat, add the Sweet Theatre Desdemona cinnamon milk chocolate, acacia honey, hot water, salt and coffee. 
2. Heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture just begins to boil; reduce heat to low and let simmer, stirring constantly, for approximately 1 minute.
3. Carefully stir in the milk and let sit over low heat until the chocolate is too warm to touch (when you can see the steam rising from it).
4. In a medium-size bowl, beat the egg until it is as frothy as possible, you can use an electric mixer or a fork for this; add the vanilla extract and beat in well. 
5. Pour the hot chocolate mixture over the frothed egg and beat it vigorously for about 15 seconds, until you have about ½ cms of foam on top.
6. Pour into cups or mugs to serve. 
7. Sprinkle some ground cinnamon over the hot chocolate.



Lady Macbeth’s Chocolate Orange Fondants

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 10-12 minutes
Serves: 6

Ingredients
150g Sweet Theatre Lady Macbeth orange dark chocolate
150g butter
150g golden caster sugar
3 whole eggs
3 yolks
150g plain flour
Crème fraiche or vanilla ice-cream to serve

Method
1. Preheat oven to 175C.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, melt the chocolate over pan of gently boiling water.
3. In a separate bowl, cream together the butter and sugar and once light and fluffy, whisk in the three whole eggs and three egg yolks. Once the chocolate has cooled, add this to the bowl and then sieve and fold in the flour.
4. Pour into individual silicone moulds about ¾ full and place the moulds in fridge as they cook better from cold.
5. Bake the fondants in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes and once you have removed from the oven, rest for one minute, and turn out on to plates.
6. Serve with crème fraiche, or vanilla ice cream. 



Portia’s Espresso Chocolate Truffles

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Cooling time: 2-3 hour in fridge
Serves: 18-20 pieces

Ingredients
300g Sweet Theatre Portia espresso dark chocolate (broken into pieces)
300g double cream
50g butter
Harvey Nichols Mixed Fruit and Nuts to garnish

Method
1. In a medium size pan bring to the boil double cream and butter, simmer for 2-3mins, take off the heat and fold in Portia’s broken chocolate.
2. The mix can be then set into your mould of choice – a silicone mould is best.
3. This then is left in the fridge for 2-3 hours, until set.
4. Push out of the mould and garnish with a dried fruit or nut of choice. Harvey Nichols Mixed Fruit and Nuts work well, and we especially love to use pecan nuts.



Cordelia’s No Bake Chocolate Cheesecake

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Cooling time: 2 hours in fridge
Serves: 2-4 portions

Ingredients
230g Sweet Theatre Cordelia caramel & sea salt chocolate
40g butter
1 packet of Harvey Nichols Christmas Biscuits
250g mascarpone cheese
Zest of one clementine
40g double cream
Cocoa powder for dusting

Method 
1. Melt the butter and add the crushed biscuits and clementine zest. Mix the three ingredients together and push firmly into a medium sized metal ring mould and place in the fridge to set.
2. Melt the chocolate over steam until the chocolate liquefies. Take off heat and gently fold in mascarpone cheese and double cream.
3. Once the biscuit base is set (hard to the touch) pour the chocolate mascarpone mix over the top and return to fridge for 1 hour.
4. To serve, gently heat the outside of the metal ring mould (a Brule burner, which will work perfectly), remove the mould and sprinkle cocoa powder over the top, plus grated chocolate.


Lawrence Otterburn and Sally Wood

Click here to read my Q&A with Sally Wood on life as a chocolatier, theatre producer, actress and wife of Ronnie Wood of the Rolling Stones